[pct-l] dangers of "cameling up"

[Ernie Castillo]

Melanie wrote 
> When I was in High School, I ran the mile and 880 events in Track and
> Field. Our Coach was under the impression that drinking water would make
> us have abdominal spasms and get really sick. She would not allow any of
> us to drink water.

 
I endured something similar. I grew up in the high desert city of Victorville CA, located in the Mojave desert, and ran cross country. Summer off-season workouts consisted entirely of long distances; in-season fall workouts included long distances balanced by track workouts. Even though we ran in the afternoons and evenings, temperatures were still rather high. We would tank up on water before and after our distance runs, which ranged from 6 to 12 miles with a high of 20. We would never drink to excess and if somebody was feeling "punky" after a workout, there were always the salt tablets. Coach would follow us is his Karman Ghia and if somebody was ailing, he would SAG them back to school. We never felt in danger. 
 
In addition to the mental toughness, learning to run hours without a water break paid huge dividends on my 1980 PCT trek. 
 
As with most habits, the balance between dehydration and overhydration is moderation. When you're hiking and you start to feel thirsty, stop and sip -- not chug -- some water. Determine your tolerances during training, not on the PCT. Everybody's tolerances, whether for pain or hydration, is different. 


Ernie Castillo
ErnieC01 at hotmail.com
home: 248 620 5283
cell: 248 884 5201